VIKING OCEAN CRUISES will be sailing to North America and the Caribbean for the first time in five new itineraries launching in September 2016.

Its flagship Viking Star will follow in the wake of famous Viking explorer Leif Erikson, who landed in North America 500 years before Columbus, with a new itinerary that sails from Bergen to Montreal.

On the way the 930-passenger ship will stop in the Shetland Islands, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, and from Montreal the ship will cruise the St Lawrence River and down the coast of New England to New York.

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After taking in the autumn scenery in Canada and New England, Viking Star will then sail south down the Eastern seaboard to San Juan in Puerto Rico, the ship's homeport for its winter Caribbean itineraries.

Our new itineraries in North America and the Caribbean will offer our guests experiences that broaden their horizons both on and off the ship

Torstein Hagen, founder of Viking Cruises

"We have always had a vision to reinvent ocean cruising - to bring destinations back to the forefront of the itinerary and to build ships that are designed to help our guests better explore their destinations," said Torstein Hagen, founder and chairman of Viking Cruises.

"We launched our ocean cruises in Europe earlier this year and, just as the Viking explorers before us, we are now looking across the Atlantic for new discoveries.

"Our new itineraries in North America and the Caribbean will offer our guests experiences that broaden their horizons both on and off the ship."

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The ship's winter homeport is San Juan in Puerto Rico

The new North American itineraries will visit original Norse settlement sites that date back more than 1,000 years, while the Caribbean itineraries will provide more time in port and excursions that Viking Ocean Cruises claim will be provide a different experience to most Caribbean cruises.

Viking Star will return to Europe in February 2017 with a transatlantic sailing from San Juan to Barcelona.